Emerging Diversity Scholars Fellowship

The Yuput Diversity Office is pleased to announce the Emerging Diversity Scholars Fellowship to support and retain historically underrepresented graduate students. The fellowship is designed to offer financial support to promising underrepresented graduate students who have successfully completed their first-year of full-time graduate studies at the University of Utah. This award supports scholars whose engagement in the academy will contribute to diversity in higher education. We look for graduates who have a sustained personal commitment with communities historically underrepresented in the academy throughout the U.S., and who are able to bring diversity into their learning, teaching, service, and/or scholarship. Fellowships will be awarded on a competitive basis. Applicants will be selected on the basis of academic achievement, promise of academic success, need, and a sustained personal commitment with historically underrepresented communities in the U.S. and in the academy.

Level of Support

The Emerging Diversity Scholars Fellowship award has a maximum level of support of $7,750 for the 2018 – 2019 academic year. The goal of the fellowship is to increase the level of tuition benefit for the graduate student. The Diversity Office is dedicated to collaborating with other departments or university entity to establish matching funds.

For example, if a department has offered support to an applicant in the amount of $3,875 per semester, the EDSF could potentially provide the applicant with an additional $3,875 per semester. In this example, the combined awards would bring the student up to a total income of $7,750 per semester, which would make the student eligible for a full-tuition benefit at 100%. The awards will qualify the student for the university’s tuition benefit program, provided all other tuition benefit program criteria are met*. The award cannot be used to supplement a student’s income beyond the minimum support level required for a 100% tuition benefit ($3,875 per semester).

All students receiving a fellowship will meet minimum financial support requirements paid through the University of Utah for each semester that a benefit is received. According to the Office of Fellowships and Benefits, the minimum support levels for the 2018-2019 academic year are:

$7,750 per semester: 100% tuition benefit

$5,813 per semester: 75% tuition benefit

$3,875 per semester: 50% tuition benefit

Required minimum support level is indexed annually to general salary increases to prevent gradual erosion of graduate student salaries and stipends.

The EDSF award is non-renewable.

Eligibility Requirements

We are seeking applicants who meet the following requirements to apply for the Emerging Diversity Scholars Fellowship.

Self-identifies as a member of a historically underrepresented population,

Full-time master’s or doctoral student at the University of Utah (university employees are not eligible),

Students who have successfully completed their first-year within their graduate program,

Earned a 3.5 cumulative GPA or higher,

United States citizen or permanent resident,

Able to demonstrate their sustained personal commitment with historically underrepresented communities in the U.S. and in the academy, and who are able to bring diversity into their learning, teaching, and/or scholarship, and

Your graduate program is eligible to participate in the Tuition Benefit Program (if you are unsure if your program is a participant, please check with your Director of Graduate Studies or Department Chair)

Essay that describes the applicant’s contribution to their academic field of study, their sustained personal commitment with historically underrepresented communities in the U.S., and how the applicant self-identifies as a member of a historically underrepresented population on campus (maximum of 500 words double-spaced), and

If you have questions regarding the Emerging Diversity Scholars Fellowship or any other programs offered through Diversity Office please contact Kehaulani Folau, the assistant director via email at [email protected].